Technical Development of Waste Sector in Sweden: Survey

MASTER’S THESIS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES RESEARCH
Table 6: SWOT Analysis of the Emerging Waste Treatment Technologies
Methods Strength Weakness Opportunity Threats
Dry Composting Biological process in a confined or open area. Only biodegradable waste Opportunity of resource recovery
Possibility to get nutrient-rich organic can be managed by this and making bio-fertilizer. Biogas can
fertilizer and soil conditioner from the waste.
Dried material can be extracted biogas via
anaerobic digestion.
process. Emission control
from the system is difficult.
be generated from the dry waste.
Sanitary
Landfilling
Gasification
Pyrolysis
Plasma Arc
Bio-chemical
conversion
MSW
Pyrolysis-
Gasification
Bio-reactor
Hydrolysis
process
Conversion of
solid wastes to
protein
Hydro-pulping
of
Natural decomposition process in confine
area and can handle different types of waste
with larger volume. Waste can be managed in
controlled environment with low
environmental impact.
Almost all types of waste fractions can be
treated with gasification process. Low final
residue is generated from the processes.
Different waste categories can be treated by
Pyrolysis process with lower volume of final
residue.
Almost all types of waste categories can be
treated with lower disposable residue.
Integrated waste treatment process with MBT
with anaerobic digestion.
Hybrid thermal process with large volume of
different waste treatment capabilities.
Landfill with MBT facilities. Higher waste
volume can be managed by this process
compare to traditional landfill.
Chemical processes of food/fruit waste to
ethanol production.
Huge land area is needed and
emission control is difficult
and costly. Long time is
required to reclaim the
landfill land restoration.
High investment cost and still
developing technology for
MSW.
Higher investment cost and
technology not yet matured
enough for MSW.
New technology for MSW
management and high
investment cost.
Limited waste treatment
capacity; organic waste can be
treated by this technology.
Emerging technology with
higher investment cost.
Pre-processing of waste is
required.
Very new technology with
limited problem solving
capacity.
Conversion of waste to nutrient. Experimental stage with
lower problem solving
potentials.
Resource recovery and reuse in paper and
pulp industry.
Only paper waste can be
managed by this process.
Opportunity to recover biogas from
the landfill. Opportunity to manage
waste more environmental friendly
way if sanitary landfill fully
functioned.
Energy and heat can be recovered
from the gasification of MSW.
Opportunity of resource and energy
recovery.
Opportunity of higher energy and
heat recovery option.
Energy and resource recovery can be
possible.
Opportunity of energy and resource
recovery.
Higher volume of biogas can be
recovered from the bio-reactor.
Opportunity of ethanol production.
Opportunity of having nutrient
recovery from waste.
Resource recovery.
Potential threat to water and soil
contamination for poor
management. Emissions to the
atmosphere are a great threat for
environmental degradation.
Threat to global warming potential,
soil and water pollution due to poor
maintenances.
Environmental impact through
emission to the atmosphere and final
residue
Potential environmental threat from
emissions.
Threat to environmental impact
from the emission.
Potential environmental threat from
emissions to the atmosphere and
water.
Potential environmental threat from
air and water emissions.
Environmental threats due to
emissions from the technology.
Water contamination.
Unknown
Threat of environmental pollution
from chemicals and waste water.
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLAN 39 | P age